THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY..........................

• Rank : ( Adverb ) usually the word that precedes the adjective "bad" , when players choose to comment on their partners' inept play
• Red : the colour of a player's eyes as he is about to erupt at the table
• Red against red : a situation which occurs when two players involved in a heated exchange are about to erupt simultaneously
• Scramble : the frenzied manner in which some players rush for the front places in the mid-interval buffet queue
• Rule of 11 : if as a player you have counted out 11 cards played from one suit, then it is odds on there are still 2 out
• Rule of 13 : a rule often ignored by many players who, having failed to count their cards before bidding, enter the auction holding 12 or 14
• Roman : an absurd convention, which owes its origin ( no surprise here ) to a Mediterranean man who wears a skirt and something resembling a metal waistcoat
• Second hand : the type of bridge books tightfisted bridge players choose to buy ( but more often choose to borrow )